Rose Thorns
by PrincessofImagination47
Summary: A dangerous new vampire has targeted Stefan and desperately wants something from him. After an incident with the killer almost gets Elena killed, Stefan breaks up with her for her safety. Miserable and alone, Elena finds herself drawn to the company of Stefan's brother, Damon, a being she's always found repulsive. She soon finds she's more than drawn to him. She's in love with him!
1. A New Guest

**HELLO, my wonderful audience of unicorns and future-authors (like meee)! Now, some of you may know me as the amazing, super-fantastic writer who is a huge, huge, HUGE Degrassi fan. Recently, on the first few days of my summa vacation, I discovered this awesome series on Netflix called "THE VAMPIRE DIARIES". Such. A. Great. TV SHOW! Now, I particularly took interest in this gorgeous vampire named Damon and the beautiful lady counterpart Elena. I believe they are meant to be. I total ship them (DELENA). And what better way to spread the Delena love than to write a fanfic about it? I know you are dying to get started on the story so...please do so and read away: **

The newspaper landed squarely at my feet with a loud _thud. _The thick pack of papers was folded up neatly, a thin rope tied around it. Feeling generally nice today, I bent down and picked it up without a glance at the headline. Nowadays, I felt all the newspaper talked about was the continuation of these supposed "animal attacks" happening in Mystic Falls and frankly, I was getting very sick of it. It's like the town was trying to enforce their "animal-attack" obsession on everyone by spreading it everywhere: the news on TV, the newspapers. I even found an article about it on the interenet. But you want to know something even worse? Knowing the truth behind all these stories.

That's right.

These aren't animals attacking the citizen's of Mystic Falls. The legend of vampires lives on. They, unfortunately, roam and co-exist with humans in our world, in our communities. Thankfully, not all of them are complete savages who feast on human blood. It took me a while to believe this and get over the denial that came over me (in the form of anger, mind you), but my boyfriend, Stefan Salvatore, was able to convince me and calm me down. He is, by the way, a vampire as well. According to what he's told me, he's been a seventeen-year-old since 1864. Yet despite all that's happened, all the things that I'd discovered, he and I manage to be happy together.

I walked up the stairs, leading to the porch of the Salvatore boarding home and was just about to knock on the door when the door opened on its own, revealing a smiling Stefan behind it.

"Well, hello there, Elena," he said, throwing the door open to embrace me. I jumped forward and fell into his arms, a smile replacing the frown on my previous thoughts. I wiggled out of his grasp and handed him the newspaper. He took it and grabbing my hand, led me down the hall and up the stairs to his room.

I've always loved Stefan's room. It was very big and roomy. The furniture was made out of beautifully polished oak that always seemed to glint, even when not exposed to sunlight. The walls were painted a nice shade of green that reminded me of forest leaves and Stefan's eyes. An enormous bookcase took up almost half of the back wall near the glass door that led to the balcony. It was piled high with books, journals and old trinkets and knick-knacks, like mirrors and collectable cars (Stefan is a big fan of cars and has a large collection, protected by a locked glass case). His bed, which takes up almost the entire opposite wall, is draped with white-see through canopies that area always pulled back away from the bed.

He dropped my hand and, newspaper still in hand, swept me up in his arms like a bride. Taking painfully slow steps, he walked towards his bed where he sat down, holding me tenderly in his arms. I enjoyed this feeling immensely, this feeling of being close to him where I could lean against him, being as close as two beings can be.

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked, closing my eyes and breathing in the scent of him. He smelled so wonderful, like a sharp tang of mint, a scent I just happened to love.

"Well, maybe we could go to the Grill, get a bite to eat, walk around on a romantic stroll and do some of that thing that couples do…" He said dreamily, looking down at me.

"Oh, you mean something like this?" I tilted my head towards him and gently pressed my lips against his. Stefan kissed me back, wrapping his arms around me, embracing me tightly. After I a while, I felt like I would explode from the lack of air. I pulled away and rested my head against his shoulder. Stefan picked up the newspaper and looked at the headlines.

"Hmm, that's interesting," He murmured, a worried look on his face. Stefan's eyes darted back and forth as he read each line of the story.

"More animal attacks?" I asked, although I knew what the answer was going to be.

"Yes, but these victims got more than just bites to the neck and blood-drainage," Stefan replied, not taking his eyes off the paper. I sat up, worry washing over me like.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, feeling the color drain from my face. Stefan propped himself up against the pile of pillows on his bed.

"'Reporters say that the three unidentified victims, two males and a female were all disfigured and completely drained of blood. Victims were missing several limbs and appeared to be severally abused and tortured during the time.'," Stefan read aloud, furrowing his eyebrows together in marked confusion.

"Stefan, you don't think this could be another vampire attacking, right?" I asked. No, it couldn't be. Vampires bite necks and drink blood. They don't horribly maim their victims. I looked back at him and waiting for him to tell me that it really was an animal. That a vampire wasn't capable of such savagery.

"It might be a vampire, but not the kind you would normally assume to be responsible for this," Stefan replied.

"What would you think be responsible for this?" I asked.

"Well, it could be a ripper…" Stefan said, looking as worried as I was.

"A ripper?"

"Yes. A 'ripper' is a vampire who has absolutely no control when in the presence of blood, whether it be animal or human," Stefan explained.

"So, you mean like Damon…?"

"Not exactly. Despite what I believe, Damon does have some self-control when it comes to blood, he just chooses to feed on humans," Stefan said. "A ripper has no choice because they have no control. It is their sole purpose when hunting to viciously and brutally mutilate their victims as much as possible. The blood lust they have is so powerful they might not even be mentally conscious during the attack. They enjoy it more than actual feeding."

"How do you stop a ripper?" I asked.

"You don't, unless you are extremely powerful, which I doubt Damon and I are," Stefan replied. "They don't stop with the limb-ripping until they are fully satisfied that's the best they can do."

I swallowed, trying to stop this fear that had overcome me. Stefan noticed the look on my face and smiled hesitatingly.

"But don't worry, Elena," Stefan said. "Whatever this monster is-ripper or not-they won't hurt you. I promise you that."

I felt grateful for his comfort and kissed him, running my hands through his very nicely styled, light brown hair. Stefan tossed the newspaper off his bed and leaned on his back, pulling me on top of him as I kissed him fiercely. He ran his hands through my long, straight dark brown hair. A moan bubbled from my throat as he pulled his hot lips away, pressing them against my neck.

"Settle down, lovebirds. Some of us are right next door, trying to drink in peace," A familiarly sarcastic voice complained. Much to my disappointment, Stefan pulled away and sat up straight against the headboard. I reluctantly slipped off his lap and was smoothing down my hair when Damon waltzed clumsily through the door, a glass of Bourbon in his hand.

Damon was Stefan's constantly-drinking, always-feeding-on-humans older brother. He was a vampire as well and because of this, his age in reality was one hundred and sixty-something. But to us, he appeared to be around his mid-twenties.

I'm not going to lie and say that Damon isn't attractive, because he is. He was very pale and tall, with a toned, athletic body, dark messy curls that grew just under his earlobes and almost-bordering-on-white blue eyes.

But a warning to you females who think he's the best thing ever: just because Damon may be good-looking, doesn't mean he's got a great personality. Guy's got an ego as big as this town, complete with a cynical, sarcastic mind. Not to mention what an enormous flirt he is.

"Damon, what do you want?" Stefan asked, obviously annoyed at his brother's interruption. Damon moved his glass, causing the ice inside to rattle about.

"What, I just stopped by like a good person-er, vampire- should to say hi to my baby brother's girlfriend," Damon took pride in the fact he was older, often referring Stefan as his "baby" or "little" brother, even though the age difference wasn't _that_ much. Damon smiled and focused his attention to me, making me feel small and vulnerable.

"Well hello there, Princess," Damon purred. Using his pet name for me was one of the many things he did to annoy Stefan to no end. As for the seductive voice, it was one of the many tasks he used to lure and grab females' attentions. And unfortunately, it works about ninety percent of the time.

"There. You said hello. Now do us all a favor and leave," Stefan urged impatiently, desperate to get his brother out of our way. Damon wouldn't hear a word of it. He pulled up a chair and dragged it over to the bed, sitting down next to us as though we'd told him to. Stefan frowned when Damon propped his leather-booted feet up on the nightstand, nearly knocking over the lamp.

"Now why would I do that? Let me remind you who's oldest, Stefan," Damon explained, jabbing a thumb towards himself. He sipped some of the Bourbon in his glass and continued. "Therefore, I am free to do whatever the hell I want. Sibling rules, sorry."

Stefan rolled his eyes. I glared at Damon, who simply smiled at his victory.

"What's this?" Damon asked, bending over and fishing the newspaper off the ground. I watched him as he read the headlines, taking occasional sips of his drink. He shook his head, looking more impressed than pitiful. "Wow. This time, I really can't help but feel sorry for you humans…"

"We think it could be a new vampire." Stefan said, noticing Damon with the paper. Damon tossed the paper at Stefan and rocked back and forth, balancing on the two back legs of his chair.

"Yeah obviously, Stefan," Damon mocked, finishing his glass of Bourbon and placing it on the nightstand. "You'd have to be pretty stupid not to see the evidence."

"New vampire as in…a ripper, maybe," Stefan specified, looking at his brother smartly. Damon stopped rocking in the chair and let it fall forward.

"A ripper? You know, I find it interesting you should mention that…" Damon said, the dreadful grin creeping across his face. Stefan froze and gave Damon a warning glance. "Did you tell Elena what a ripper is?"

"Yes…" Stefan answered suspiciously.

"Did you tell her about the person I know who happened to be a very, very cruel ripper back in the day…?" Damon asked, raising his eyebrows cynically. What is going on? I turned to Stefan.

"What is he talking about?" I asked, hating the feeling I got when secrets were being kept from me. Damon looked at me in mock-horror before looking back Stefan.

"Oh, Stefan? You didn't tell her?" Damon asked, he shook his head, clicking his tongue. "You should. You know Elena hates secrets."

Damon cast a knowing glance towards me and retrieved his glass off the floor before scurrying out of the room, his leather shoes thumping against the wooden floor. I turned to Stefan.

"What was Damon talking about?" I demanded, sounding like a complete five-year-old begging for candy. Stefan sighed and gave me a you're-not-going-to-like-this look.

"Elena, whatever I say…please don't let it change what you think of me," Stefan began. I nodded understandingly. He sighed. "Well, the reason I was able to tell you about rippers in such specific detail was because…I used to be one."

He paused cautiously, searching for a reaction. I didn't show him one, although the news was plenty shocking to me. How is it possible that Stefan, my Stefan, could have been one of these monstrosities? He wasn't Damon. He wouldn't ruthlessly mutilate innocent people…or would he? When I first met him, I couldn't imagine him being a blood-sucking demon. But he was anyways. If I could accept him being a vampire, then I could accept whatever happened in his past, including being a savage limb-tearing ripper-slash-vampire. I simply nodded dumbly.

"How did you stop becoming one?" I asked before Stefan could continue his story.

"Persuasion," Stefan said simply, frowning.

"Okay, that doesn't really narrow things down-"

"Lexi. Lexi is the one who helped me. She taught me how to gain control for my blood lust," He answered. "She saved me from totally loosing it."

I felt my cheeks heat up in guilt. I clearly remembered beautiful, blond "Towel Girl", a vampire who I'd mistaken for Stefan's hook-up the day after I'd broken up with him the first time we dated. I'd gotten to know her and she gave me some relationship advice for fixing things with Stefan. I'd just started warming up to her when Damon ended up staking her to death, saying "it was all part of the plan". Stefan, of course, never forgave Damon.

"Wow. That's an incredible thing she did for you," I said quietly. He nodded sadly. Stefan then looked up at me curiously with those beautiful green eyes.

"Are you okay with knowing this?" He asked. I nodded and he sighed a breath of relief. Stefan stepped forward and grabbed my hands in his. "I just want you to remember: that was before. This happened a long time ago. I would never, under any circumstances, hurt you now, Elena."

"I know, Stefan," I said, tightening my grip on his hands. Stefan leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss on my forehead. I smiled, glad that Stefan was being honest with me.

"We may have a new guest in town," Stefan pointed out. "And it may be a dangerous ripper...but I won't let it hurt you. Ever." I nodded in agreement and kissed his lips.

"Now, about those date ideas you had…"

"Yes?"

"I'm totally up for it," I challenged, smiling mischievously. Stefan got up and grabbed my hand. We both got up and walked out of his room, where we unfortunately encountered Damon.

"Hey, watch where you're going, crazy weirdoes," He hissed, looking down at his now empty glass. In our hurry to get out of the house and start our date, we literally walked into him, causing him to spill the recently-refilled glass of Bourbon all over his shirt.

We simply laughed as Stefan continued to lead me out of the house. I looked over my shoulder back at an extremely upset Damon who was pouring more of the alcohol into his glass. In that moment, he happened to glance up at me, as though he could feel me looking at him. He stared into my eyes, raising his eyebrows seductively at me. I felt my cheeks heat up furiously as I looked away. Damon smirked at me as he lifted the glass to his lips to take a sip.

I looked back at Stefan, wondering why Damon always does that. Why he feels the need to try and seduce or flirt with me. He knows I'm with his brother. The thought really bothered me. But as Stefan kissed me lightly on the lips again, I was able forget Damon.

For now.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

I waltzed through the door, feeling lighter than air. It was about nine 'o' clock at night when my date with Stefan sadly ended. My legs ached from the romantic stroll we took after lunch at the Grill and my lips were puffy from the heavy kissing we did in his car. Therefore, I was dying to go to my bathroom and take a nice, hot shower.

"Jenna, I'm home!" I called, closing the door behind me. I stepped into the kitchen, kicking off my sneakers and placing them on the rug.

"Elena, I'm on the couch!" Jenna called back from the living. I smiled, walking into the living room to find my beautiful, blond aunt lying on the couch, watching re-run episodes of How I Met My Mother. Her leg lazily dangled off the side of the couch. After the car accident claimed the lives of both my parents, my Aunt Jenna stepped in to be the legal guardian for Jeremy (my kid brother) and me. She wasn't the strictest guardian ever, but she managed to keep my brother and me in line.

"How was the date?" She asked, turning her head to look back at me. I felt a shy smile grow on my face.

"It was perfection, as usual," I said, figuring that might satisfy my gossip-thirsty aunt. She chuckled, not asking for anymore details, just as I'd thought.

"That's great, kiddo. You have my permission to leave me to my TV-watching," Jenna said, grinning. She waved me away and turned her attention back to the TV, laughing at the characters in the show.

I walked away from the living room and walked up the stairs, climbing them two by two. Opening the door to my room, I dropped my bag and jacket on the neatly made lilac bed sheets. Falling back on my bed, I sighed happily.

It was then I remembered the shower I was so desperate to take. Sitting up, I got out of my bed and walked out over to the bathroom, placing my hand on the door. I was just about to open the door when a voice yelled out, making me scream back in terror.

"Everything alright up there?" Jenna asked. I responded with a type of reassuring grunt.

"HEY, I'M IN HERE! DON'T COME IN!" Jeremy yelled out. I was so surprised I nearly passed out.

"LOCK THE DOOR NEXT TIME!" I yelled back over the sound of hot, steaming water.

"I can't hear you," Jeremy called back in a sing-song voice. I felt myself growl impatiently.

"When are you going to be out!" I asked, knocking on the door. "It's late and I need to shower!"

"Five more minutes...it's too warm in here!" He called. To drown out anymore interruptions I might make to his shower time, Jeremy turned on the radio we had in there and before long, I could hear The Killers ricocheting off the walls. Knowing Jeremy wouldn't be out in "five minutes", I went back to my room and stood in front of my full-length mirror.

My appearance had deteriorated shortly after my parent's death. But now, I seemed to be recovering and looked fine, if not better than before. My long, dark brown hair gained back its glossy shine and had grown to reach the small of my back. My olive skin, once paled to an unhealthy shade, now radiated with its original deep tone. My brown "doe eyes" seemed to glint constantly now. And I guess you can thank Stefan for this. He helped me realize I won't be sad forever.

My eyes fell on the beautiful silver locket covered in little gems that hung around my neck. Stefan had filled it with vervain, this herb that weakened and disoriented vampires when its presence. It was to protect me from bad vampires.

Upon closer inspection was I able to find the little spot of rust that was starting to form at the base of the locket. I realized that should the entire necklace rust, it might no be able to hold vervain. I know I shouldn't take it off, but would a vampire really attack me in the shower? I doubted it. There was no harm so long that Jenna didn't invite anyone suspicious into the house.

My fingers reached up and unhooked the clasp on the locket and it fell loose, falling into my palm. I walked over to my dresser and placed the locket into my tiny jewlery box. It was simple. I shower then come back and put it on again. No harm done.

Just as I grabbed my towel and walked out to the bathroom, did Jeremy walk out of the bathroom, followed by steam so thick and heavy with the scent of cinnamon that I nearly choked. Jeremy smirked at me, walked into his room with a towel around his waist. I rolled my eyes and walked into the bathroom. I kept the door open to clear away the sharp scent. When it felt safe to shower, I turned on the water and let the hot water run down my back, shoulders and hair, feeling refreshed already.

After about twenty minutes, I finished showering. I was now surrounded with the pleasant, crisp scent of lemon, something that really satisfied me. I walked back to my room and after drying my hair, I pulled on some pajamas and curled up into bed. My fingers felt too tired to write in my diary, so I figured I would do it tomorrow. I clicked off my lamp and easily slipped into a deep, relaxing sleep.

The odd thing was, I found myself not only dreaming off Stefan, but of Damon as well. It...scared me, even in the deepest of my slumbers. Why would Damon be in my dreams. I had plenty of reasons why he _shouldn't_ be in my dreams or even in my near thoughts.

I'd always found him repulsive and a non-humane vampire. And I intended on keeping it that way.

**And that, ladies and germs, is chapter numero uno! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do write a review on what you think and the growing, blooming, DELENA love shall continue. I need reviews like Rachel needs applause (if you watch Glee, you'll get it)! Thank you. Chapter numero dos=on it's way. Gracias...merci! **


	2. A Lurking Danger in the Woods

**You know, I find it ironic how its summer now, and winter/autumn in Mystic Falls hahaha. There is a lot of things happening in this chapter (you know since I want Stelena over and done with), but I hope you enjoy it all the same. Carry on my friends and don't forget to review, or else the villain will come and get you. Hahaha just kidding. Read on, my friends/unicorns. Read on:**

The chilled autumn breeze fluttered through my window, causing goose bumps to rise on my cold skin. I awoke with a start and practically ran to my window, closing it shut. In the instant, the white curtains stopped dancing and rested calmly against the window pain. Within moments, my room began to heat up to a normal, comfortable temperature. No longer feeling tired from last night's sleep, I sat on my bed and quickly glanced at the clock on my nightstand. It was 9:30 in the morning.

It was then I caught sight of my little green diary sitting next the lamp. Remembering the promise I made to write in my diary, I reached over and picked it up. I untied to knot around it, grabbed the pen I used to write and began my new entry. When I was finished, I read it over again and was surprised to find it was…drier than my other earlier entries. All I wrote about were vampires and Damon and Stefan. It lacked my own opinion and emotion. That's the problem with knowing all this stuff: it becomes all you talk about, all you think about and all you worry about. I prayed that it wouldn't cause my writing career to go down the toilet. After closing my diary and making my bed, I got up and walked downstairs.

My house was extremely silent, the grey autumn light spilling in through all the windows. Jeremy was still snoring away in his bedroom (yes, that's how loud he was. The door was closed and I could hear him plainly). I peered into the living room and spotted Jenna was passed out on the couch, the TV remote in her hand. I smiled, shaking my head. Realizing how hungry I was, I walked back to the kitchen and began to prepare my breakfast of toast and scrambled eggs.

I had just placed the bread in the toaster when I heard a tired groan come from the living room. My tired aunt clumsily made her way to the kitchen, stumbling with exhaustion. With one eye half-closed, she pulled a chair from the table in the kitchen and sat down. After letting out an enormous yawn, Jenna managed to open both her and focus on me.

"Morning, sleepy head," I smiled at her. Jenna lifted both corners of her mouth in a small grin.

"Oh God, I am beat! Watching TV sure sucks the life outta you," Jenna said, stretching her arms out. "Normally, I'm the one making breakfast on a Saturday morning."

I laughed, placing two more bread slices to be toasted. I pulled out a plate, slid some scrambled eggs onto it and served it to my tired aunt. At the sight of the meal, her face light up and all the exhaustion visible was gone. I added the two slices of toast to her plate, which she began to wolf down.

"So, what are you going to do today?" She asked through a mouthful of egg.

"I don't really know…"

"You gonna hang out with that beau of yours, Stefan?" Jenna teased. She got up and walked to the refrigerator, helping herself to a glass of orange juice. I laughed, trying not to choke on my breakfast.

"No, I mean we hung out yesterday and I don't want to be that clingy type of girlfriend all guys dreaded," I explained. Jenna nodded and brought the cup to her lip, taking a large sip. When she finished, she let out a sigh of satisfaction.

"So…how about we have a movie night?" Jenna suggested, stuffing the last piece of toast down her throat. "You know, order a pizza, rent some movies and gorge ourselves sick with popcorn."

"With Jeremy?" I asked, already thinking up a list of reasons why and how that would be awkward.

"Jeremy? Oh no, not him. He can go do whatever boys do. It's ladies night only," Jenna said, placing her plate and cups into the sink. She leaned back against it, crossing her arms over her chest. "So, when do we start this Ladies' night?"

"Well, how about later at, like, four or five. I have some homework to do, so I was going to head over to the library and get it done," I said, remembering the brutal History essay I had due on Monday. Jenna looked at me, a grinning crossing her face.

"Good idea…I've taught you well," Jenna said, turning to wash the dishes. I laughed with her.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a very important call to make," I said, slipping out of the kitchen. Jenna smirked at me and continued to wash the dishes. I turned away and started up the stairs. "Don't worry I won't tell Jeremy-"

"Tell Jeremy what?" In my rush to get to my room and call Stefan, I accidently bumped into my little brother, who being the tall, stronger one, almost knocked me down the stairs. I looked up, surprised. I opened my mouth to explain, when Jenna peered out of the kitchen.

"To tell you about ladies' night and how you're _not_ invited," She said, whipping back around the corner to resume her dish-washing. Jeremy looked quizzically at me and shook his head, laughing. I chuckled back at him and hurried up to my room. I fell down on my bed, full from this morning breakfast. I sighed and walked over to my drawer, were I picked up my phone. Carrying it back to bed, I dialed Stefan's number and held it to my ear.

After about three rings, someone on the other end picked up.

"Hey there, Princess. How was your morning?" A voice cooed on the other line. I felt a nasty glare form on my face, my lips pursing together in disapproval.

"Damon! Get off Stefan's phone," I hissed, feeling tempted to hang up. But I knew if I did, I would call back later and Damon would probably pick up again and annoy the hell out of me.

"You know, a normal person usually replies to such greetings with 'I'm doing fine, how about you.' Then again, I take it you're not a normal person," Damon teased. I let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Where is Stefan? Get off the phone so I can talk to him, please?" I urged. Damon paused for a moment.

"Why do you people keep forgetting who's oldest? Moi! So that means I can do whatever I want, include talk to my little brother's girlfriend," He said, raising his voice at the last part. I heard the sound of footsteps in the background followed by a familiar voice. "Speak of the devil!"

"Damon, give me the phone," I heard Stefan insist calmly. Damon murmured a respond followed by, "Damon, as much as I would like to kill you, I won't because Elena is on the other end, hearing everything. So just give it to me and go."

"You guys are no fun. You suck. Stefan's brooding personality is catching like influenza," Damon snorted in defeated. I heard him pass the phone to Stefan, much to my relief.

"Hey, Elena," Stefan said into the speaker.

"Much better. I feel pleased to talk to you rather that Damon's," I said with a roll of my eyes.

"As do I, Elena. I spend every day waiting to hear your voice instead of my brother's," Stefan replied. I could almost see the smile on his face grow at the other end.

"Ugh, you guys make me sick!" I heard Damon shout in the background sarcastically. It was followed by the sound of glass clinking together, which I assumed to be Damon pouring himself a drink.

"Hold on," Stefan said. After about five minutes passed, he started talking again. "Sorry, I had to leave the room. Damon was being obnoxious as usual. So, how are you?"

"I'm doing great. I'm going to have a ladies' night later with Jenna," I said, clicking a pen I'd found on the carpeted floor of my room. Stefan chuckled.

"And what will you be doing at this ladies' night? No, wait let me guess: pillow fights?" Stefan guessed. I laughed.

"Nooo…."

"Spying on the neighborhood boys?"

"Ha-ha, nope. We are going to watch movies and gorge ourselves sick with pizza and popcorn," I explained, doodling designs on the last page of my diary with the pen.

"Hmm, very interesting night it seems you'll be having tonight," Stefan observed. "I hope it goes well for you."

"Thank you very much Stefan. So what are you going to be doing today?" I asked, curious to hear how Stefan will spend the day, with Damon constantly trying to ruin whatever plans he had.

"Well, I'll probably spend the day trying to figure out more information about this new, eh, vampire we have in Mystic Falls," Stefan replied, his voice suddenly solemn.

"Are you sure this is a vampire we are talking about?" I asked, trying to squash the possibility that another one of these beasts may be trying to wreak havoc in our city.

"I'm sure. What else could it be? The behavior is obviously similar to a ripper, as well as the victims being completely drained of blood," Stefan explained. I groaned, falling back into my pillow. "What's wrong?"

"I just don't want to have to deal with this all the time, y'know? I don't want to have to live in fear that another vampire might be trying to kill you!" I said, my voice quivering.

"I know and it sucks. What can you do though? It is what it is. Thankfully, the vampire seems to want nothing with _you_," Stefan said, trying to reason with me.

"Yeah, I guess. I just hope it stays that way," I said. "Well, I just wanted to see how you were after yesterday's date. I have to go to the library and finish some homework."

"Yeah and I have to find out more about the attacks. That and try to avoid Damon, since he's being more insufferable than ever," Stefan said with an annoyed sigh. I smiled shyly to myself.

"Well, I wish you good luck with that. Got to go, bye," I hung up on the phone with Stefan and fell back on my bed, wishing I could live with Stefan in my dreams forever. Suddenly, the door slowly creaked open.

"Hey, what happened to the library-going?" Jenna asked, poking her head around the door. She had on her face a minty-green mask. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail and she was holding two cucumber slices in her hand. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"What's on your face?" I asked, tilting my head quizzically. Jenna looked down at her hand and then started chuckling.

"It's an avocado mask and the cucumbers are for my eyes. Sorry, this is part of my weekend morning routine. Gonna have to get used to that," She said, giving me a light smile. "So are you going to go to the library?"

"Yeah, I'll be going in a minute," I said, drawing out the words slowly. Jenna nodded and closed the door behind her. I smiled to myself, shaking my head. _Wow,_ I thought. I couldn't help but wonder if that's something my mom used to do. Funny, she hadn't passed long ago, yet I can barely remember the simplest things she used to do. I shook my head, determined to get rid of the possibility I might be forgetting.

I grabbed my bad heavy with homework and books and set it down next to my bed. Walking over to my closet, I pulled out my outfit for the day: dark jeans, my signature black sneakers and a long-sleeved blue V-neck pulled over a white tank top. Quickly, I ran a brush through my hair and applied just the tiniest bit of makeup on my face. I grabbed my heavy, dark blue coat and pulled it on, along with a nice scarf. It was starting to get extremely cold as the autumn season began to fade, slowly slipping into a fierce winter that would most assuredly come upon us. I slung the bag diagonally across my torso and headed out.

"Hey, where are you going?" Jeremy asked as I passed the kitchen on my way out. He was sitting at the counter, stuffing corn flakes and milk in his mouth.

"To the library," I answered shortly, closing the door behind me. As I walked of my warm house I ended up being hit in the face with a shock of cold, frosty air. Typical weather for late November. Unfortunately, it made walking to places like the Mystic Falls Grill and the local library a much harder journey than normal. My hands, stuffed deep into my pockets, were already frozen by the time I reached the library. Much to my satisfaction, the library was warmer than it was outside.

Being the only library in Mystic Falls, our library was extremely large due to it being so full of rich history. Four floors of every single type of book you could imagine. It used to be the highlight of my day coming here to pick up a new vampire story. Unfortunately, after all that's happened in my life lately, I haven't had much appetite for a paranormal romance novel. I headed up to the second floor and began to my search for books on the Civil War. One of the many assignments I had to do this weekend was an essay on the causes of the Civil War.

I walked over to the non-fiction section of the second floor and began searching. I busily ran my finer along the row of old, weathered and tattered spins, my eyes looking out for something to help me with this darned essay.

In fact, I was so busy looking for stuff I could use for my homework, I never even got the slightest feeling I was being watched.

I continued running my finger along the shelves, looking and looking. It wasn't until I reached the end of that shelf, that I noticed someone had been studying me a few bookshelves down. Trying to ignore the nasty feeling in my gut, I walked down the opposite aisle, looking for a new section to begin my hunt for research, when I spotted that same sinister-looking someone standing in the corner, looking at me.

It was a very tall, thin man, dressed in black pants, old leather combat boots, and a long black jacket. The hood was pulled over his head, obscuring his face from view. My heart began to beat in what I assumed to be fear; my palms beginning to instantaneously sweat. The man lifted his head slightly, revealing thin, blue lips pressed together in an almost perfect line surround by pale skin. I squinted slightly and tilted my head a little to the right, catching sight of suspicious red lines that dribbled down from the corners of his mouth. _Blood_.

I caught my breath in shock, my eyes widening to an enormous size. But in the blink of an eye, literally, the man was gone. Completely disappeared. It took me a moment to register what had just happened. I shook my head. This was all in my head. It must have been a shadow or something. It was all in my head.

A bit shaken up by now, I realized it would be better just to have someone point out where the history books were. Practically running from that area, I made my way towards the second floor's front desk and asked for assistance.

"Are you okay?" The old, white-haired woman asked, peeking at me from beneath her flowered glasses. I smiled nervously, nodding my head. The old woman stared at me doubtfully for a moment, and then lifted the corners of her mouth in a wrinkled smile. "Okay, come this way. The books are over here."

I followed her over to the opposite side of the second floor. She walked me over to a section labeled "History" and pointed out the Civil War books. I gave her my gratitude and she left me to hunt in peace. I found quite a few books on the causes of the war and after finding a spot to sit down, I pulled out my notebook and began to busily take notes, writing down points I would use for my essay.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was about three in the afternoon when I finished devouring the books. I'd managed to fill four pages and a half of research. Now all that was left was to go home and type it all out neatly on my laptop. I packed up my stuff and put back the books. I walked down the stairs, peeked out at the glass wall on the landing. The day transformed dramatically. The early, morning sky was like silver. Now all it reminded me of was the sidewalk, turned to a dirty, dark grey from being walked on constantly. Stuffing my hands in my pocket, I braced myself for the cold as I trudged out of the library. Seeing nowhere else to go, I decided to go for a stroll around town, until it was time to go home to Jenna and my living room.

As I walked around, citizens busily carried on with their lives. They were hidden so deeply in their coats and hats that people I happened to know very well were almost unrecognizable. I'd wandered away from the downtown Mystic Falls and was skirting the outside of the woods when I ran into that same sinister someone from the library. He'd just appeared, standing still, like a stone statue in my path. The hood was pulled up, so I still had no view of this being's face. As much as I wanted to run, I knew I couldn't, my feet helplessly rooted to the spot.

"Hello, Elena," The entity whispered hoarsely, his voice threatening to crack. My face distorted with horror at the realization that he knew my name.

"How do you know my name?" I asked, my voice quivering with fear. The being stepped towards me slowly, the sound of twigs and leaves crushed under his feet. The being chuckled, a noise so horrible and scratchy, I resisted bringing my hands up to my ears to block the sound out.

"I've been here a while, Elena. I know everybody," He answered simply. He continued walking towards me, never once revealing his face. I felt myself tremble horribly, my heard racing so fast it was bound to break. "Don't even think about running."

"What do you want from me?" I asked. The being ignored me.

"Just stay still," He said. I watched his hooded face, trying to see past the black material and visualize what his face looked like. What did he want with me? Could he be…the ripper Stefan talked about? It would explain the strange behavior, the blood dribbling down his lips, the unnaturally pale skin. The way he moved so quickly, at the blink of an eye.

I never saw the hit coming. I never saw him raise his balled up fist and bring it up across my head, hitting me with such incredible force I felt my knees buckle instantly. I crumpled to the floor, my head throbbing so painfully and horribly. It was all I could I could do to stop screaming out in pain. All I saw were black dots growing, dancing across my vision. He bent down and picked up my now limp body, throwing me over his shoulder like a sack.

I managed to catch the briefest glimpse of his face before completely black out. He was certainly handsome before being sired, young with extremely pale skin, like fresh snow. Gold blond hair fell messily over his forehead and his beautiful eyes shone like pure silver. I could see fangs peeking out under his top lip. The ugliness that came with being a vampire was present with him, making him a dangerous creature.

Long moments later and I felt myself being pulled back to consciousness. I sat up, letting out a gasp of shock. It took me a moment of calm to register where I was. I looked around and realized I had been lying, unconscious, on the cold ground of the woods. Brittle, frail leaves stuck to my hair and jacket. Thin, old twigs were crushed under the weight of my once limp body. My head throbbed painfully and my vision became blurry for a long, aching moment. I closed my eyes and rubbed the burning spot, waiting until the pain ceased, for now.

After I felt stable enough, I got to my feet, struggling to keep balance. Despite it being only the afternoon, the grey sky of the day made the woods look terrifying, like it did at night. I looked around, trying to recollect my thoughts without going into absolute panic. I walked a few feet, trying to get my feet to move at a quicker pace. That was when I heard the horrible sound, like a very, very pissed off animal growling. I looked around, but all I saw were trees. Hundreds upon hundreds of thin trees that all looked the same. My heart began to quicken, threatening to thump through my chest. I began to run, trying to find a familiar path that would get me out of these horrible woods.

He suddenly appeared in my path, the one who had brutally knocked me out and kidnapped me. He stretched out his arms with lightning speed and pushed against my chest, knocking me back several few. The force of the push was so powerful, I had left a trail dug deep into the earth, shredding through leaves. I looked back him and he let a sardonic chuckle. He walked towards me, hissing and snarling, showing off two unusually large, pointed white fangs. I screamed and began to crawl back on all fours, struggling to get away.

I grabbed a nearby rock and hurled it at him, hoping to delay him long enough to get away. Unfortunately, being a vampire, he caught the rock in time. I watched in horror as he broke the rock by tightening it in his grip, disintegrating it to dust. He got to me with blurred speed and wrapping his hand around my neck, lifting me off the ground with ease.

"Do that again, and I'll tear you to pieces just like I did to those other idiots," He hissed, his fangs so close to my face. I let out a choked gasp.

"You're the vampire. Three, uh, people," I said, choking out the words. My hands grabbed at his hands, struggling to pry his strong fingers off my throat.

"Very good, Elena. You're actually smart," He hissed, the hood still on his head. "But that was just hunger, the very thirst for blood like yours. I'm capable of much more damage than that."

"Why?" I choked out. He narrowed his bloodshot eyes at me.

"It's all part of the plan," He said. He slammed me down on the ground, releasing his grip around my throat.

I looked back up and found that his hood had fallen off, revealing his face which had turned into the monstrosity I recognized with Stefan and his blood lust attacks. The purple-green veins grew and pulsated around his red-rimmed eyes. His eyes dilated and focused on my exposed, naked neck. He walked towards me and in a blurred motion, threw himself on me.

He began to beat me over and over again. His fingernails had grown to razor sharp claws which he used to rake bloody rows down my cheeks. My face felt swollen and mangled, a job well done by rippers. I just hoped he wouldn't rip my limps off. At the realization that that might be his next move, I let out a blood-curdling scream, hoping someone nearby could help me.

"Shut up," He growled, pinning my shoulders down to the ground. The beating and clawing at my face had stopped. Focusing his attention again to my neck, he began to lower his fangs down to my neck. I panicked and let out another scream, loud enough to snap my vocal cords.

Just as he was about to possibly rip my throat out, another blurred motion appeared and knocked him off of me. It felt as though an enormous weight had been lifted off my chest. I lifted my head and narrowed my eyes at the new thing that had saved me from total mutilation. I caught a glimpse of light brown hair that contrasted against my intruder's gold locks. My savior grabbed hold of the ripper's neck and pinned him against the truck of a big tree with incredible power.

"What did you do to her?" A familiar voice shouted, boiling over with anger. _Stefan._ I sighed a breath of relief, a smile of gratitude stretching across my face.

"It worked, ha-ha. You showed up to save your girl," The ripper choked out, smiling as though he'd won.

"What do you want with her?" Stefan demanded.

"Tell me!" The vampire suddenly shouted, sounding very excited. "Tell me how you do it?"

"What did you want with Elena?" Stefan asked, sounded extremely confused.

"TELL. ME. NOW!" The ripper exploded in rage and broke past Stefan's grip. He started again, becoming a blurred bullet shooting toward me. He was a mere few feet away from me and had lunged for my throat when he was suddenly knocked away from me by a different vampire. _Damon._ Stefan went after the slowed-down ripper and chased him deeper into the woods out of view.

"Ugh, that newbie is such a dick," He said about the ripper. Then he turned to me, staring amusingly with those brilliant eyes of his. "Another moment later and you, my friend, would have been chopped up into vampire sushi."

"It's not funny," I said, annoyed at him. Damon held out his cool, pale hand and helped me to my feet. I bent down and dusted myself off, smoothing my hair down. I looked down to find myself still holding Damon's hand. Before I could react, somewhere in the very near distance, we heard a distinct growl. The ripper!

"Well, time to go," Damon said. He swooped me off my feet and carried me in his strong arms, bridal style. "Hold your breath."

I did as he told me to and with that, Damon took off out of the woods, running like there was no tomorrow. In the blur of it all, it was hard to keep up with every twist and turn Damon made trying to get us out of the woods. I eventually lost track and simply closed my eyes, concentrating on the frosty air that bit my cheeks and the feeling of Damon being so close to me. I don't know why, but lately I've felt the strangest urge to see him, however much he annoyed me. But he and Stefan had saved me and that's all that mattered. I gritted my teeth and leaned my head against his chest. I could almost feel him smirking at my gesture of comfort in his arms.

But I didn't care. I was safe with him…for now.

Eventually, we reached the edge of the woods. Damon slowed down and walked to his car, parked on the outskirts of the woods. He kept up a fast pace and I struggled, peeked through his arm to see if Stefan followed behind us. He didn't.

I felt myself tremble, though I didn't know if it was out of fear for Stefan's life or because it was cold outside. Damon reached his car and gently put me down on the ground. I was shocked to see myself stumble for balance. Damon laughed. It was a rich, deep sound that always seemed to please me. I liked hearing it because Damon rarely laughed or smile. The most he could come up with was a big smirk that always irked me.

"It takes a while to get used to that," He explained, opening the back door. He grabbed my wrist and helped ease me into the car. I was shocked to feel how cold his hand was on my wrist, making the veins churn hotly. He smirked at me and I felt myself respond with a small smile. Just as Damon closed the door, Stefan appeared, speeding out of the woods. I felt myself relax instantly into the back seat.

"What took you so long? We were about to leave," Damon said from his side of the car. He walked around it to meet Stefan, who was gasping for air, his hands on his knees. "Who was that guy, anyways?"

"His name is Declan. I think I met him once, a long time ago before my arrival to Mystic Falls," Stefan explained, catching his breath. Damon shook his head, his lips pursed together in disapproval.

"What did you do to him this time, brother? Why did he go after Princess?" Damon asked, leaning against the car window, his arms across his chest. Stefan sighed, frustrated at Damon's use of my pet name.

"I didn't do anything to him. But I do know he didn't want to kill _Elena,_ he was just using her as bait to get me to come to him. I got him to fess up to me," Stefan said, eyeing me through the window.

"What did he want?" Damon asked, sounding genuinely worried for the first time since I'd met him.

"I don't know. We'll talk later because we have to get Elena home. Her aunt must be worried," Stefan said, pushing past Damon to reach the car. Damon walked around to his side of the car and opened the door. He started the car and began the short drive home. Stefan turned around in his seat to look at me.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?" He asked, peering at me with his eyes. I shrugged.

"I don't know. I'm okay, I guess. I'm really scared," I said, feeling myself tremble.

"I wouldn't blame you," Damon muttered under his breath, but Stefan didn't seem to hear him. Stefan nodded hesitantly at me and turned back around. Damon pulled into the my house's driveway. I got out, with Stefan's hand slipping around my shoulders and Damon trailing behind him. Stefan was about to knock on the door when it opened, revealing a terrified and angry Jenna behind it.

"Elena! Oh my God what happened to you! You're face! Oh my God," She began shrieking. Jeremy appeared behind her, his eyes wide in shock.

"I'm okay," I insisted, trying to cover my nasty wounds, Stefan shielding me from view. Damon grabbed my aunt and guided her to the kitchen. She continued trying to shout out to me.

"Elena, what happened!" She continued shrieking, flailing to get away from Damon, who now guarded her closely, never allowing her to walk out of the kitchen

"I'll fell and hurt myself," I replied, avoiding her accusing gaze.

"NO, you don't get those injuries by falling! You don't!" She screamed, sounding more frightened than ever. Damon grabbed my aunt's shoulders and looked deep into her eyes, smiling.

"Elena fell. She got fell and hit her head and scraped her cheeks. She fell. Now, you will relax, Stefan will take care of her," He said, drawing out the words slowly. My aunt looked at Damon quizzically, saying nothing for a moment. Then she nodded slowly, repeating his words. Oh my God. Damon mind-compelled my aunt. Before I could go and attack Damon, I took a moment to realize Damon just saved me from a lot of explaining I would have had to do.

Stefan walked me upstairs and Jeremy went back to the video game in the living room. I reached my room and sat on my bed. Stefan got a wet cloth and began to wipe the blood from the rows Declan had raked into my face. He brought the cloth to my lips, which I assumed was bleeding as well. He went downstairs and returned with a pack of ice he pressed against my temple where I'd been knocked unconscious.

"You going to be okay tonight?" He asked, focusing on the ice pack on my head. I nodded.

"I'll be okay. I promise," I said, looking in his eyes. "Why did Declan come after me?"

"Well, for one, you weren't wearing the vervain, making it easier for Declan to get closer to you," Stefan said, his eyes falling on my naked neck. "You were never suppose to take that off!"

"I know, I just forgot to put it back on," I explained, looking at the jewelry box that could have saved my life. Stefan continued with his theory.

"And Declan wasn't really after you. He was using to you a bait to make me come to him," Stefan said, cleaning my face with the rag.

"What does he want?"

"We don't know yet. But as long as Declan is out there, until we find out what he wants, I can't be with you, Elena. You were almost killed tonight," He said, smoothing my hair with his cool hand. I started to protest, but he put a finger to my lip, shutting me up. "I'm the one Declan wants. Until he is stopped, I can't be with you. I don't want you getting anymore hurt than you are."

"Please, Stefan," I said, my voice cracking. "Don't. Just don't say that."

"I have to, Elena," He said firmly. He stood up, the bloody cloth in his hand. "I'm doing this for your safety. I can't risk you getting hurt anymore. Goodbye, Elena."

I stared at him, trying to forget the sinful words he spoke. Stefan bent down and pressed his lips against my forehead in a quick kiss. I tried to grab hold of him, but he shrugged off my grip. Without looked back, he walked over to the door and closed it behind him.

"Stefan?" I squeaked, hoping he would come back. That door never opened again. Tears in my eyes, I grabbed my stuffed teddy bear-the one Mom got me-and threw it against my mirror in rage. I brought my knees up and hugged them closely to my body, burying my face in them. Tears rolled down my cheeks, stinging the wounds. Using the last bit of force I had left, I changed into pajamas, brushed my teeth and fell on my bed. Now, I was really crying. I know what Stefan was doing. I know it was for my safety. But what use was it if all it did was hurt me even more than before.

The wounds felt numb compared the pain in my heart.

**There you have it! Chapter two is up! Now I know you Stelena fans out there must be crying, but Damon is just meant to be with Elena. Sorry, folks. A lot of things happened and it was a heck of a long chapter to write. So please please please review and tell me what you think so far! More Delena in the next chapter(since this is a Delena story) and several hints at Declan's intention might be revealed. But to find out, you will have to review and wait for Chapter numero tres! Gracias!**


	3. Dinner for Two

**Hello, friends! Here you have it, chapter three. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it (even though I was in no such mood to write what with this damned heat). I hope you get swept away by the man himself Damon Salvatore. I know he did to me;). And here you have it, folks. Chapter three. Read on, friends, read on:**_  
_

_I can't be with you, Elena._

With a startled gasp, I shot up in bed, the words echoing through my mind. I ducked my head, trying to settle my shaky breath. Feeling my head throb nastily, I rubbed the sides of my temples with my fingertips. My throat constricted painfully. The pain, the words, all of what happened yesterday didn't even seem real. I tried to live in this possibility that I had imagined it all or that maybe it was just a really bad nightmare. But my body refused to see it that way. It thrust forward the pain, the numbness, the memory of Stefan's heartbreaking words as he ended his relationship with me.

_For my safety._

I threw myself back down on my mangled pillow, still wet from the tears I shed yesterday and groaned, frustrated. Had I not been so stupid to trust that Declan yesterday and let him hurt me, I would still be with Stefan. I would still have him to comfort me, to reassure me that Declan would never hurt me again, no matter what, as long as I had him to protect me.

Why at this very moment, I would have probably received a good morning text from him. I always did, every morning before school and on the weekends as well. I looked down at my phone, willing it to vibrate and ring obnoxiously as a message from Stefan appears on my screen. But my phone remained motionless, still and silent as a corpse against my white sheets.

It was no use. No matter how hard I tried, how hard I wished, I knew deep down inside, Stefan would keep his promise. He would stay away from me and remain broken up with me so long as it meant that no danger would come near me. I shook my head, feeling my face melt into a warp of sadness that tugged at my broken heart repeatedly. I stood up from bed, holding a hand to the nightstand as I struggled to regain my balance. Running a tired hand through my hair, I went to the bathroom to rinse my face. Opening the door, I went to the mirror in my bathroom and gazed at my reflection. I let out a gasp of shock, my eyes widening until I was sure they would explode in size.

My face was covered in red, mangled scars that stood out hideously against my skin, already paled until the olive tone was nearly reduced to a frightened white. Six distinct scars, three on each side of my face, stood out to me the most. Declan had raked his claws so deep into my cheeks that they resembled bloody, nasty crop rows. He had cut into them with ease, as though my skin was made of clay or dirt. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and turned around, examining my shoulder in the mirror. Trailing my shoulders and arms like a line of blue and green jewels were bruises, some large and some small. I turned around to my other side and found it the same way.

Feeling like I could no longer stare at the injuries on my body, I let down my hair, which flawlessly covered my bruises. I reached up and gingerly pressed my fingers to the scars on my cheeks and forehead. My scars didn't hurt, but I figured that I should leave them be. They would heal in time. I bent over the sink and rinsed my face, careful to avoid ripping open any wounds. I patted my face dry and closed the door behind me on my way out of the bathroom.

I made my way out of my room and down the stairs, the scent of scrambled eggs and bacon grabbing my attention and hauling me to the kitchen, were I caught sight of Jenna jamming away to a song on the radio while cooking breakfast. Her hair was pulled back into a long, blond ponytail that swung back and forth to the beat of her dance steps. I could hear her humming to herself as she watching the sizzling bacon on the stove.

I used to be a dancer, and always had a passion for it when I was little. When I got to high school, the closet thing it had to dance was the cheerleading squad, so naturally, I joined. It was a lot of fun being on the squad. I made many friends and it helped tone my body. But then, the local gym had started giving dance lessons around the time of the accident. My mother had signed me up and intended on taking me to my lessons, but she never got the chance. Since then, I sort of lost my taste for dancing and shut the dream away, taking comfort in my diary. Watching Jenna, I wondered if I would be dancing now, had my mother not been killed.

Jenna must have sensed someone watching her because slowed down her dancing and turned around, the ponytail coming to stop.

"Hey, morning kiddo," She grinned sheepishly, but pursed her lips sadly at the sight of my mauled face. Now, it was my turn to smile and I did awkwardly, for the scars bothered me. I looked away and pulled a chair out from the table.

"I, uh, take it you didn't sleep well," Jenna said, turning her attention back to the eggs and bacon. I sighed, rubbing my eyes.

"Was it that obvious? What gave it away?" I asked, looked at her through an open eye.

"I was gonna say the scars from your accident, but I think now it was more those bags under your eyes," She smiled, gesturing with her spatula. It took me a moment to remember that Damon had mind-compelled my poor aunt into thinking my scars are a result of a nasty fall. It worked well, thankfully, as he saved me from a hell of a lot of explaining I would have had to do.

"So, what are you going to do today?" She asked, serving me a plate of eggs and bacon. She walked back to the radio and turned the music down. I thought for a moment.

"You know, I think I'm just going to go to the Grill, catch up on writing," I said. Jenna sat down next to me and began wolfing down her breakfast.

"Alright. Do you want anything for those injuries?" She asked through a mouthful of bacon, motioning with her fork. I shook my head.

"I'm fine, it doesn't hurt," I said, looking away, trying to hide it with my hair. My plan didn't work. If anything, it failed. Jenna peered at me sadly, studying my scars. She reached out, running a finger gently down my wound. I pushed her hand away. Jenna flinched.

"Is everything alright, kiddo?" She asked, poking around her food.

"No, I'm fine, really," I said.

I couldn't tell her about my break-up with Stefan without revealing the entire vampire situation to her. She would freak and either tell the sheriff… or send me to a mental hospital. I couldn't stand the idea of putting Damon and Stefan in harms' way. The sheriff was a little vampire obsessed and would do anything to "eliminate" these "blood sucking creatures of Satan" from our town.

"Okay," she said slowly, dragging out each word. I nodded and stood up, walking back towards the stairwell. I turned around and found my aunt staring at me quizzically, her head tilted toward my plate of cold food. I rushed back to the kitchen and picked up my plate, heading back towards the stairs without a word. I could hear my aunt sigh heavily as I bounded up the stairs with such speed; it was practically a miracle my food was still on my plate. I walked back to my room, closing the door behind me and letting it shut with a slam.

I sat down on my bed, abandoning the breakfast plate on my nightstand. Suddenly, the door creaked open again. Jeremy, my previously-mentioned, cousin and adoptive little brother, poked his head around door. Even though he wasn't my _real_ brother, it wasn't difficult finding any similarity between him and me. His shaggy waves of hair were the same dark color as mine. He had the same deep, chocolate eyes, though his took on a rather sleepy look. Standing next to me, he towered multiple inches, nearly reaching six feet tall.

"Hey, is everything alright? I heard the door slam," He said, jerking his head to the hallway.

"Everything's fine, really," I replied dryly. I picked up a random book from my nightstand and attempted to feign interest in the meaningless words on the page.

"No. No, it's not," Jeremy said, insistently. He closed the door cautiously behind him and stepped towards me, perching on the edge of my bed. He placed an encouraging hand on my knee. "Come on, Elle. Talk to me."

Jeremy was recently recovering from his very notorious druggie-slash-alcoholic past, which included fellow druggie addict and occasional hook-up Vickie Donovan. They eventually started dating, but it all ended when Vickie was turned into a vampire, courtesy of Damon. She became a dangerous threat to everyone, leaving Stefan no choice but to have him drive a stake through her heart. Jeremy was devastated but recovered. He quit all forms of drugs and alcohol, started going to school and actual began doing his homework. Since then, he's become a really good, trustworthy kid.

I considered it for a moment. Jeremy knew about the existence of vampires. He became vampire-obsessed after researching the topic for some type of essay. This ended with me having to fess up the truth to him after he began to incessantly pester me about it. He thankfully managed to keep his mouth shut.

But Jeremy is only sixteen-soon-to-be-going-on-seventeen. He has already been in one too many dangerous situations that are way too mature for people his own age. I don't want him getting involved in this whole Declan situation. Jeremy might end up doing something stupid and his recklessness would finish with him on the end of a stake or with a broken neck, courtesy of an angry Declan. I don't want him to get hurt.

"Elena, I know you didn't get those injuries from a bad "fall". It's impossible. So why don't you tell me what happened. Damon didn't compel me, you know," Jeremy reasoned smartly. I looked up at him and sighed sadly.

"Stefan broke up with me," I said frostily. Jeremy's jaw tightened angrily.

"What, why?" He asked, narrowing his sleepy eyes, his fist clenching together tightly. "What did that jerk do to you?"

"Jeremy, he was trying to protect me. It was for my own good and…" I felt myself trail off. I looked up at my brother. Jeremy waited expectantly, drumming his fingers on his knees. I took a deep breath, realizing I had no other choice but to tell Jeremy everything. I told him about the "supervised" trip to the library, my encounter with Declan on the outskirts of the woods and his kidnapping me, resulting in me getting injured.

"...so that's why he broke up with me. If I'd worn the vervain, I would have been okay," I said, finished my tale. Jeremy's eyes widened.

"So, what did this ripper want?" Jeremy asked.

"I don't know. Nobody knows but Stefan, who met him a few years ago but that's all," I explained, shrugging.

"Man, that really sucks, Elena. But don't worry, you'll be okay. You'll see," Jeremy patted my knee reassuringly and got up to leave. He turned around and smiled at me, but his attention suddenly flashed to the plate of bacon and eggs. "Hey, you gonna eat those?"

"No, go ahead," I said, nudging it to him. Jeremy swooped down and with the plate in hand, left my room. I could hear him crunching down on Jenna's bacon. I shook my head and laughed. I got up and peeled off my pajamas, replacing them with a green V-neck pulled over a lacy white tank top, jeans and some boots, as the weather was getting colder by the day. I pulled on my coat and threw my diary and a book in my bag. I combed my hair, applied the slightest bit of makeup and left my room, closing it softly behind me.

I bounded downstairs, pulling fuzzy black gloves over my fingers. Jenna spotted me from the kitchen and nodded at me. I nodded back and walked out the door, a blast of chilled November air hitting my face. It would be at a time like this that taking the car would be a good idea, but the Grill was a short walk away. Might as well put in the exercise.

Withing fifteen minutes, I was already at the Mystic Falls Grill, one of the popular hangouts for Mystic Fall students. I walked up to the front and opened the door, my face instantly warmed by the welcoming heat of the Grill. Stuffing my gloves in my bag, I walked up to an empty table near the pool table and sat down, pulling my coat off. Dana, a part time waitress and full time student at Mystic Falls walked right up to me. I knew her from the cheer-leading squad.

"Hey Elena!" She cheered at me. I waved back and responded with a "Hi Dana", attempting to look bright. " What can I get you?"

"I'll have, uh, small hot chocolate," I said. "Oh with peppermint."

"Alrighty, be back in a few," Dana said. Hot chocolate with peppermint was a winter specialty at the Grill. I smiled at her and she waltzed away towards the kitchen. Looking down at my book bag, I reached down and fished out my little green diary and a black pen. I'd fallen a little behind in my writing, ergo that it was as dull and dry. It needed more...emotion. Not just vampire stuff. But I guessed it wouldn't hurt to write about yesterday.

"_Dear Diary_," I started out. "_Yesterday will be a day I never forget. Its hard not to. The pain and the memory of it is still present within my. Scars marked as evidence maul my face. It all started out with the day I read about that ripper in the paper. Stefan had promised the vampire wouldn't come near me. Boy, was he wrong. After breakfast with Jenna and some Ladies' night planning, I'd gone to the library to finish up some homework when I realized I was being followed. And its even more scary when I think about the fact that it followed me out of the library and_-"

Suddenly, a pale hand slammed down across the pages of my diary. It was so large in size it nearly covered my diary entirely. I felt a tight scowl form on my face as I looked up into the very, very light blue eyes of my offender.

"Damon," The unwelcome in my greeting was made pointedly obvious, judging from his reaction.

"What is it with you people and your rude greetings," He said, shaking his head in mock-disappointed.

In a single, smooth motion, he swept up my diary in his hand. I watched as he began to read my entry, his eyes darting back and forth as he read each line. Figuring I wouldn't be able to pry it from his grip, I simply let him read what I'd written. I'd written nothing super personal, after all. But he managed to stretch the length of my permission by turning a page back and reading my _very_ personally written entry.

In panic, I reached up and slapped his hand. In surprise, he dropped the diary into my waiting hand. I snatched it back and tucked it away from view. I looked up. Damon rubbed his offending hand.

"Ow," He whimpered, casting me a small glare. I smiled smugly and hoped that my punishment would be enough to make him leave. But instead, he pulled up a chair and sat down, scooting next to me as though I'd invited him to.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" I asked, making the annoyance in my voice obvious.

"What, is it a crime to come to a public place?" He retaliated. Before I could answer, Damon looked around the restaurant, as though searching for someone. "Speaking of public...where's Stefan? Figured he'd be here. With _you_."

I looked away, refusing to let Damon see through my sadness. Damon tilted his head curiously, studying me with those sparkling eyes.

"Is something wrong?" He asked. The sarcasm in his voice had toned down to a genuine worry. I shook my head, refusing to let the tears that had welled up fall. Damon reached out and grabbed a napkin, offering it to me. I guess having superior hearing like vampires did would have made him hear my "quiet" sniffing. I grabbed the napkin and dabbed at my eyes.

"Stefan broke up with me," I said, forcing away the constriction in my throat. Damon shook his head, smiling.

"Is that why you're upset? Because Stefan broke up with you?" He asked, good-naturedly. I turned around and stared at him, outraged.

"Why is this funny?" I demanded. For a moment, I thought maybe Damon was drunk. I stared at him. Nope. He had the same obnoxious expression on his face whenever he spoke sarcastically.

"I mean, if the ripper came after you, of course Stefan, being the hero he is, would want to keep you safe. Even if it meant ending your gag-worthy, fairy tale of a relationship," Damon said logically, lacking any and all sympathy for me. I simply stared at him. "Don't be stupid, Elena. Stefan is doing you a favor by breaking up with you. Trust me. Now stop moping and _forge_t him. Find someone less...Stefan-like."

Angry suddenly raged through me. The one person I thought would side with me and tell me that "yes, Stefan didn't have to break up with me and that he was a jerk" was now telling me that it was for the better. Who the hell does Damon think he is to judge what is good for me. Why is he being so...insensitive? Is he happy Stefan dumped me?

"Insensitive jerk," I growled. And as a last, satisfying gesture, I reached up and slapped him, my hand cracking across his face. Damon stared at me in shock, the initial reaction I had wanted. He reached up, pressing a hand to his punished cheek. I stood up, bag in hand. Suddenly, Dana approached, carrying a cup of steaming, hot chocolate. I payed her and took my cup, leaving behind the Grill and that stupid jerk.

I shook my head as I stood outside, sipping my drink. Could Damon be right? Am I being...stupid for acting like a heartbroken brat? It's not my fault that I feel sad and maybe a little betrayed at Stefan. It is, after all, a normal response when someone gets dumped. And why would Damon care? He lost the ability to care...at all. What right does he have to tell me who to forget and who to date.

I finished my drink, wrenching the paper cup in my hand. I walked up to a trash can and tossed it away. Now that I couldn't go to back to the Grill and finish up writing (thanks to Damon), I had to find some other place to go to. I looked around. A walk near the woods-nope, I would have to be crazy. I guess I could go to the library, write there in peace. I rest my case.

Tightening the grip on my bag, I made my way to the library, the chilled air brushing through my hair, letting it fly past its cold fingers. I arrived to the library and found an empty table on the _first _floor. I peeled off my coat and sat down. Fishing out my diary, I placed it on the table and began to write away.

And just like that, my anger was gone.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Hours later, I was making my way back home. All the anger and resentment I felt for Damon and his righteous logic was gone, thankfully. I waltzed up to my front porch and fumbled for the key to my door. My legs were tired from all the walking and my hand ached from all the immense writing. All I wanted was to go back upstairs and take a nice, hot bath.

I opened the door and waltzed clumsily inside. The strong aroma of spices suddenly overwhelmed me. I could hear something sizzling on my stove. Jenna's cooking dinner.

"Jenna, I'm home!" I said, pulling off my boots. No answer. "Jenna?"

I peeked around the corner and found Damon in my kitchen. DAMON! One of Jenna's white aprons was tied around his black shirt. He held a sizzling pan in one hand over the stove and a wooden spoon in the other. Laid out on the counter in front of him were containers and cans of spices, boxes of noodles and some meat on an aluminum pan. Standing tall, towering over the rest of the "ingredients" were two glasses of champagne.

"Damon! What are you-How did you-Why?" I stuttered, trying to separate the millions of questions in my head. Damon turned around and grinned at me, the wooden spoon held tightly in his pale grip.

"Ah, Princess. You're finally home," He said cheerfully. I didn't even bother to try and get him to stop calling me that.

"What are you doing in my house? Get out!" I demanded, pointing to the door. Damon ignored my demand.

"Well, I wanted to apologize for being an "insensitive jerk" and I thought what better way than to make dinner," He said logically. I shook my head.

"What about Jenna. Where is she?" I asked, looking around. The house was so quiet, except for Damon, who was now humming to himself.

"She went on a date with Alaric," He replied. I opened my mouth to respond but he cut me off. "I didn't compel her this time, I swear."

I rolled my eyes, not bothering. No matter what I did, I knew I wouldn't be able to get rid of Damon.

"So, if this missus would like, would you care to join me for dinner?" Damon asked, raising his eye brow at me. I felt my face turned red. It seemed as though this was what Damon wanted, as he smirked at me. To make me blush like a freak in front of him. This is the person who Damon was: a guy who liked to use and seduce women. He's done it before. I refused to fall under his "spell" or whatever it was that made him so...tempting. Not that he was.

"Okay, fine," I said, giving in. It was better to give Damon what he wanted now and know that he would leave in peace later. He smiled victoriously.

"Good, now go get changed."

"What? What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?" I asked, looking down at my casual, but comfortable outfit.

"This is dinner. You are suppose to look nice," He insisted, pointing at me with his wooden spoon. "By the time you get back, I'll be done cooking, I think."

I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to argue. I grabbed my bag and walked up to my room, my feet trudging heavily against the stairs. Every floor-pounding step would be a sign to Damon for ruining my relaxing afternoon. But I appreciated the fact that he had enough consideration to cook dinner for me. It was...nice. I got to my room, but happened to run into Jeremy on the way.

"Hey what are you doing up here?" I asked. One of Jeremy's normal Sunday routines was spending the afternoon playing video games and eating junk food.

"Oh, Damon told me to stay up in my room for some reason," Jeremy shrugged. "What is he doing here anyways?"

"He's cook-"

"Come on, Elena! Get a move on!" Damon called from downstairs. I forgot that he could hear me, being a vampire and all. I gave Jeremy a tell-you-later look. He nodded and slipped back into his room. I walked back to my room and dropped my bag on the bed.

What to wear, what to wear? I sat down and looked around, trying to picture myself in something. I figured I should put in the effort of looking nice for him. After all, he _is _cooking dinner for us. That alone deserves something nice. I got up and walked to my closet, trying to search for a nice top, the jeans were fine. I reached into my closet and pulled out a sequined, blue top. I guess it looked nice with the jeans. I pulled it on and felt satisfied. It looks fine. I slipped my feet into some black flats, combed my hair and reapply the small amount of makeup I had on.

Within minutes, I was ready. I waited a bit longer, figuring I should give Damon time to finish his cooking. Ten minutes passed and I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerve. I walked downstairs and found Damon pulling his "master piece" out of the oven. He set it down on the counter. Just at that moment, I had reached the end of the stairwell and was making my way into the kitchen. Damon looked up at me, the apron tossed on a chair.

"Now, that's more like it," He complimented. I smiled, feeling my cheeks heat up against my will. I cursed myself for acting so...shy around him. Its Damon, right?

"What did you cook?" I asked, peering into the pan. Staring back at me was a delicious pan of lasagna. "Wow, lasagna. I didn't know you knew how to cook."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Elena," Damon said, cutting me a piece. "I learned how to by compelling a chef in Italy to teach me."

"You've gone to Italy?" I asked, mind-blown. Damon nodded. He took a sip of champagne. Damon set his glass down and nudged the other one to me. "Oh, this is for me? I don't drink."

"Oh, what's there to loose. You're gonna turn eighteen soon. Might as well. A little sip never hurt anyone," Damon said. He picked up the glass and held it to me. I could smell the champagne. "Come on. You know you want too," Damon cooed.

"Alright," I said, smiling. He's right. There wasn't anything to loose. I would turn eighteen eventually. Smiling smugly, I took the wine glass from Damon and tilting it to my lips, sipped the drink (not all of it, though). The small amount I swallowed burned my throat. My eyes watered the slightest bit. I looked back at Damon, who's eyes widened.

"Wow, never pegged you for a boozer," Damon said, impressed. I coughed, smiling.

"What type of girl do you peg me for?" I asked, tilting my head to right. Damon shrugged and began to eat his lasagna. I abandoned my champagne and downed mine, remembered the breakfast I never had. Jeremy suddenly came downstairs. He swooped towards us, his nose hanging over the pasta.

"Lasagna? Damon, you never said you were cooking," Jeremy reached out and shoveled an enormous amount onto a plate. Without hesitation, he ran back to his room, the pasta disappearing bit by bit.

"So, tell me about your visiting Italy," I said, pushing away my empty plate and picking up my champagne. Damon suddenly reached up, wrapping his fingers around my hand on the glass. I looked at him and he at me. Staring at each other, I got a good look at his eyes. They were very pretty shade of blue. Sometimes, I had trouble deciding whether they were blue or silver or white or combined. All I knew is that they were very pretty. I could stare at them for hours. My cheeks began to heat up again beneath my ugly scars, concealed by makeup. Damon swallowed and lowered his hand, still wrapped around mine, wrapped around the wine glass.

"You shouldn't drink too much the first time. You might get tipsy," He cautioned. I took another swig, finishing the glass.

"Oh, nonsense," I said, smiling reassuringly at me. After all, who was Damon to care whether I got "tipsy" or not. I got up and suddenly felt myself stumble. Damon sped out of his chair and rushed to catch me. I looked up at him. Damon smirked at me, giving me an I-told-ya-so look. I smiled back and straightened up. I took me a moment to realize that Damon still had his strong arms around me. I bit my lip.

"Damon, do you really think Stefan was right to break up with me?" I asked, looking up at him. His face was so close to mine, I swear that one false move and we would be...kissing. The thought scared me. Damon sighed, holding me closer to him.

"I think that he was right; he really loves you. He would do anything to protect you. Anything," Damon whispered sadly. I felt chills run down my spine. For a moment, there was silence. I wriggled out of Damon's grasp and tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Well, I guess we should clean up," I said, motioning to the dirty dishes. Damon gazed at me, but cleared his throat and nodded. I set the plates in the dishes and put away the lasagna. I walked over to the counter and began washing dishes. Damon stood next to me and began drying the dishes.

We finished cleaning the kitchen (awkwardly, mind you). I walked Damon to the door.

"Thanks, Damon...for cooking dinner. It was...nice," I said, considering I'd been previously upset with him. Damon smiled.

"So, does this mean I'm...forgiven?" Damon asked. He widened his eyes into large, puppy-like orbs. I smiled back.

"Yeah. You're forgiven," I said, patting his shoulder. Damon opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated. "What?"

"Nothing. I had...fun. Thanks," And with that, Damon left out the front door, letting it slam shut behind him. I crossed my arms over my chest and walked upstairs. I walked to the bathroom, took a nice, hot shower and changed out of my dinner outfit. I fell backwards on my bed, sighing heavily. My hair, still wet from the shower, was wrapped in a towel.

I never actually thought that tonight would be...fun. Any encounters with Damon usual ended in frustration of trying to combat his fluidity in sarcasm. I enjoyed spending time with him; it helped heal my broken heart. Why, hanging out with him helped me forget what his brother did to me. I felt comfortable. And I'd never thought I say this but...

I couldn't wait to see him again soon.

**There you have it, ladies and unicorns! Chapter three. A lot of writing, so please, please please review! I will upload four soon. Thank you!  
**

**P.S. Dont forget to review!  
**


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